The Reality of Perception

A Curious Proposition

The most intriguing paradox in life is how real the unreal can get like the rumor that's completely untrue that gets a life of its own, the casual comment, which becomes your life's footnote, that one day that you're off your game that becomes your legacy (see Marion Barry). I was talking to my friend Nicole the other night as we sat in Hooters and watched the Redskins lose for America (OBAMA! Woohoo, got that out). We were discussing Clinton Portis MVP-esque season. I was like "Yeah, he's racked up a lot of yards this season but he doesn't have that signature run." And she was like, "What are you talking about?" And I said, "Look, he's just been getting a lot of quiet yardage. He hasn't done anything to warrant a highlight." She said, "What do you mean? You want him to hurdle somebody and then do a backflip into the endzone or something like that?" I was like, "Yes, that would be nice. I want some craziness, ya know. I want him to start off one way, completely reverse field, spin off three guys and then hurdle the last defender as he dives into the endzone." She was like, "Whatever, you're crazy." And I said, "I know but that's what I want."

I think in a lot of ways that's what happens in our own personal lives though. We're so busy focusing on the highlights that we miss the reality of the situation. It's kind of like Larry Brown, the Dallas Cowboys Superbowl MVP cornerback. In Super Bowl XXX, he won MVP for make 2 key interceptions on passes thrown by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Neil O'Donnell. Immediately after that season, he became a free agent and translated his Superbowl MVP to a very lucrative contract with the Oakland Raiders a team for whom he completely underperformed and only played 12 out of 16 games for before returning to the Cowboys to end his career. Yes, Larry Brown had been a starting cornerback. Yes, he was a Super Bowl MVP. But, he simply wasn't worth the money. The interceptions he caught...were thrown directly to him. The Raiders, in their infinite wisdom, ignored his suspect body of work and took that shining moment as an indication of what he truly could be. Unfortunately, for the Raiders, who still seem to be giving away free money, he simply wasn't going to be that, for them or anybody else(lol).

On the flipside, you have a career like Leon Lett's. (And no I'm not picking on the Cowboys, because I love the Redskins lol) Anyway, Leon Lett played in the NFL for 11 seasons, two-time pro bowler, lynchpin of the dynamic Dallas Cowboys defense during their Super Bowl years at defensive tackle. But rarely is his productivity discussed in as great a length as his two very infamous blunders. In Super Bowl XXVII, Leon Lett recovered a fumble on the Buffalo 45 yard line and proceeded to run his hardest and fastest(for a 6'6, 290 lbs man who wasn't the most fit) up until he got to the 10 yard line where he started to slow down and was trying to "pull a Michael Irvin" and dance his way in holding the ball out over the endzone. His plan almost worked to perfection except for the fact that he didn't notice, as he was looking at the Jumbotron, a streaking wide receiver named Don Beebe, coming to strip the ball from. Only one man was successful, can you guess which one? That's right. Don Beebe. He knocked the ball away, sending it through the endzone costing the lethargic Mr. Lett his touchdown and the Cowboys the record for biggest margin of victory(like that really matters lol).

In an equally imfamous play, in the 1993 Thanksgiving Classic, a snowy day in Dallas, the Cowboys were hosting the Miami Dolphins. The score buttcheek close, 14-13 with seconds left in the game. The Miami Dolphins line up to take a final swing at a victory with a field goal attempt. The attempt was BLOCKED! The Cowboys begin celebrating. Everyone except for the lovable Mr. Lett that is who proceeds to try to recover the ball and fails. The Dolphins hurry and recover the ball. They rekick. IT'S GOOD!!! The former winners, the Cowboys, are now losers, 16-14. DOLPHINS WIN!!!! As horrendous as these boneheaded plays were, they collectively were a matter of maybe 45 total seconds that will live on in infamy as opposed to the 633,600(approximately) that he spent on the field. How fair is that? To have 0.000071% of your career be your career in a nutshell.

It's the same phenomenon that we describe in the dating world and in the working world when we talk about making a good first impression. No matter what else you do on that date or in that interview(unless it's completely outrageous or horrendous), you will be remembered for that first 45 seconds. Your eyes, your smile, your hair, your clothes, your posture, your demeanor, your breathe, your smell, your speech- all of that carries you into the rest of the date or interview. While I believe that that concept is utter bullshit and is very elitist, judgmental and superficial, I accept the fact that it is real to many people and is part of what society calls "playing the game." Everyone talks about being "forreal" and "serious" and "insertanyotheranalogousenvoguehoodtermhere" but most of us are navigating a series of societal games that we call life. Doing enough to get by without making too many waves. Practicing double standards. Offering up insincerity enveloped in a faux expression. All a part of the "game."

Triple H would be proud (lol). His intro music, by Motorhead (probably my favorite metal band), features lyrics that may give some insight. "It's all about the game. And how you play it. It's all about control. And if you can take it. It's all about pain. And who's gonna make it." Be it love, work, family, we play it all like a game. Asking ourselves how we can get over (how you play it), how we can manipulate the situation (and if you can take it), and what cost are we willing to endure for our success (and who's gonna make it). Most of us are caught up not in the games that we create for ourselves but in the games that society creates for us that we think we have created for ourselves. We believe that we have co-opted the game and made it our own and that we're playing everyone around us, ignorant to the fact that our game playing keeps us from the truth of life- that there is life. Life doesn't happen in socially-defined constructs of beauty or fashion or intelligence or acceptability or propriety or morality. Life happens when we live spiritually, emotionally, sexually, physically and morally in the fullness of ourselves. "WE ARE THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!" The words penned by June Jordan in her poem Poem for South African Women, used as a title by Alice Walker (author of the Color Purple), as a slogan by former President Bill Clinton and President-elect (still sounds weird) Barack Obama and believed to have been a Hopi Native American saying.
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Closing Notes

Some people have criticized me for my very reserved response to Barack Obama's presidential victory. That's just who I am- reserved. Despite my seemingly very high-spirited, zany and excitable image, I am pretty stoic and I subscribe to a very panoramic view. When I think of all that Barack Obama represents in terms of racial solidarity, American unity and the socio-political changing of the guard that is afoot, I am moved to tears. And I celebrate the historical nature of this event but not at the cost of turning a blind eye to the reality of the world. President Obama will face the most scrutiny that an American president has possibly ever faced. I keep reminding my friends that "Yes, he is the president; but, he actually has to be the President." The greatest strength that Obama's campaign has exhibited thus far is an uncanny ability to capitalize on momentum and to realize potential. They asked, "Who is this man?" He told them. "Does he even stand a chance against HIllary?" He toppled the Clinton machine. "Ok, but, does he really think he can beat John McCain, the maverick, the war hero?"And he did. As the economic fortunes of America hung in the balance, he captivated the imagination of the people by playing to their fears and taking sole ownership of the chance for hope for the future.

I personally practice guarded optimism, especially given the position America is in. Barack Obama is a president who happens to be Black; not a Black who happens to be president. If Barack Obama isn't as "Black" as "we" would like for him to be, how is the Black community going to handle that? Are they going to brand him a sellout or really see across racial lines and not focus on his ethnicity. Obama's ability to traverse racial minefields thus far, the largest being the extremely ignorant comments of Jesse Jackson, is honestly amazing. I just wonder how long he can keep it up, especially when the economy gets better. At this juncture, I have more questions than answers, which is why I'm encouraging everyone to back off with the racial pressure.He is not his race. He is not the president of Black America but all of it. We have to wait, watch, and support. Not predict, assume and point fingers.The reality of who Obama is far more important than who we perceive him to be.

President Obama's first major decision, hiring his chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel was a very important and well thought out one. Emanuel is known for his intellect, interpersonal skills, financial acumen and policy experience. Emanuel has held a variety of key posts in the Democratic party, top Clinton aide, chair of the Democratic Caucus, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and a member of the House of Representatives Ways and Means committee. This pivotal office for the Bush presidency was held by both Andrew Card, who resigned amidst turmoil in the War on Iraq and Joshua Bolten, who has been held in contempt by Congress for failing to turn over information related to the investigation of the suspicious dismissal of U.S. attorneys, most of whom had received either exemplary or satisfactory marks on their most recent evaluation. This position is also where Vice President Dick Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made their mark. How Obama builds his staff and cabinet will in large part determine how he is remembered. The secrecy and lies and deception of the Bush staff and Cabinet is to me the most significant stain on Bush's legacy. Those issues prevented any real work from getting done!

SO GOBAMA! GOBAMA! GOBAMA! Because as you go, so do we! You do realize that for those of us in college and college age, this term will probably define our adult lives!